Eureka Rockfish still biting

Last weekend's lake-like ocean conditions prompted more than a few boats to target late-season rockfish near Cape Mendocino as well as halibut off the coast of Eureka. While the halibut bite was spotty, the rockfish action was nothing short of stellar. Just about all the boats that made the trek south reported limits of fat rockfish. The halibut bite, on the other hand, proved to be a little tougher. There were lots of skunks reported, and a few boats were lucky enough to land up to four flatties -- a true hit and miss report. If you're planning a trip offshore this weekend, Saturday looks to be the best day with winds to 10 knots and seas west five to six feet at 11 seconds. Both rockfish and halibut seasons will come to an end on Oct. 31.

Rain on the way

Though we may still be looking at a fairly dry October, the season's first measurable rain is on the way. According to Reginald Kennedy of Eureka's National Weather Service, a change in the weather pattern will begin on Friday and we could see up to two-tenths of an inch of rain through Saturday morning. More rain is in store for Monday and Tuesday, where as much as a quarter inch could fall in Humboldt, and Del Norte County could see up to three-quarters of an inch. It's not much, but it's a start.

Pacific Outfitter's Trinidad Rockfish Wars II this Saturday

The second annual Trinidad Rockfish Wars Kayak Fishing Tournament will take place this Saturday, Oct. 13. The cost is $25 per person and teams consist of two people. There will be a safety meeting at 5 p.m. at Eureka's Pacific Outfitters where participants can check in and ask questions. The event runs from dawn until 2 p.m. on Saturday and all fish must be recorded by 3 p.m. A rewards potluck will follow at 6 p.m., with prizes given to first, second, and third place finishers. For more info, visit http://pacificoutfitters.com/event/trinidad-rockfish-wars.

The Oceans:

Eureka

Skipper Tim Klassen of Reel Steel Sportfishing took advantage of the calm seas last weekend and ran to the cape for some rockfish action -- and he found plenty of willing biters. It was easy limits for his clients, with some nice lings and cabezons in the mix as well. The sport boats that made the run also reported some dynamite fishing and a few halibut were also caught near the cape as well. As for halibut out of Eureka, the bite has been real hit-and-miss, according to Klassen. "If you're in the right spot, you'll get them, if not, it could be a long day," Klassen said. Most of the boats were fishing in 180 to 330 feet of water from the 44- to 51-line.

Shelter Cove

There's been a few salmon caught out front near the whistle buoy, reports Russ Thomas of Mario's Marina in Shelter Cove. "A few boats scored limits over the weekend and most boats caught fish, but there isn't many trying."

Port of Brookings Harbor -- Chetco River

Mark O'Reilly of Sporthaven Marina (541) 469-3301 reports the bubble season at the mouth of the Chetco has been good to average this year. "The bite has definitely been better on the overcast days, while it's been tough when the sun has been out. The fish are good size this year, with most averaging 30-35-pounds. The current leader in the Chetco Hawg Derby is a 47-pound king. The bubble season will wrap up Sunday, Oct. 14.

The Rivers:

Smith River

Chris Hegnes of Crescent City's Englund Marine reports a few fish are being caught at the mouth by anglers throwing kastmasters and cleos. "There's definitely fish milling around and coming in and out on the tides. Expect it to really turn on when we get some rain."

Lower Klamath

There's still fresh fish coming into the lower Klamath, but the bite has been hit-and-miss, according to Mike Coopman of Mike Coopman's Guide Service. "We're certainly not seeing the numbers that we did earlier in the year, but we're seeing more fish in the 20-pound class being caught. There's also quite a few steelhead around as well as some silvers. It's pretty typical for this time of the year where we see fish trickle in while the late-season tributary fish are still staging in the ocean."

Upper Klamath

Guide Brice Dusi of Brice Dusi's Guide Service, who wrapped up a successful trip on the upper Klamath on Tuesday, reports the fishing was real good and everyone was catching fish. "There were lots of boats, but just about everyone was getting in on the action. If you got into the right slot when the fish were coming, you could really do well. The water currently has a little color to it, which really helps the fishing. Most of our fish came while backbouncing roe."

Upper Trinity

Steve Huber of Steve Huber's Guide Service reports some good fishing in the Junction City area, with lots of fresh salmon moving in. "I'm seeing lots of fresh salmon on the move as well as some real big steelhead. The water is real low and clear and it's been pretty warm -- which makes the bite tougher once the sun hits the water. I'm getting most of my salmon on Kwikfish first thing in the morning before switching over to smaller plugs for steelhead. Bait is also working well, but there's lots of smolts around so you'll need to wrap your bait."

Lower Rogue

According to Guide Bill Divens (SalmonKingLodge.com), a large push of silvers entered the Rogue estuary last week and the action was wide open on Thursday. "Friday and Saturday was also really good for mostly wild silvers. Things slowed down a bit on Sunday and Monday, but the scales tipped in favor of hatchery silvers that we can keep. Flows in the main river have been cut and navigation is getting more than a little interesting, so most anglers are staying in the estuary. Boat traffic is light compared to summer, and with more silvers moving into the Rogue along with lower river kings and Indian Creek Hatchery kings ready to move in with the first rains, we are looking forward to another couple of productive weeks on the Rogue. Our most productive baits have been straight anchovies, anchovies with green spinner blades, and weightless spinners."

Find "Fishing the North Coast" on Facebook for up-to-date fishing reports and North Coast river information. Questions, comments and photos can be emailed to kenny@fishingthenorthcoast.com.